“We'll, you should have picked 98,'' Bowman told him, “because that's the year you're going back.''

Bowman loved to needle Holmstrom, but he could take it. It's nothing compared to the abuse Holmstrom has taken in front of the net during 15 NHL seasons while screening goaltenders with his wide body, deflecting shots with his tremendous hand-eye coordination and retrieving pucks with his dogged determination.

Holmstrom played in his 999th NHL game Wednesday against Edmonton. He could become just the sixth Red Wing to play in 1,000 games Friday at home against Anaheim.

And, as teammate Jiri Hudler noted, “His 1,000 games are like 2,000 for everyone else.''

A long shot to make it to the NHL as Detroit's 257th pick in the 1994 entry draft (10th round), Holmstrom arrived in North America in 1996 billed as “The Demolition Man.'' Likened to former Red Wing Dino Ciccarelli for his feistiness around the net, Holmstrom soon developed into the kind of net-front man every team covets.

“He's got great hockey sense, he knows how to play, knows how to protect the puck, knows how to get it back, where to stand,'' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “He's not an elite skater and yet he's an elite competitor.

“It just goes to show you players come in all different sizes, shapes and abilities and Homer's managed to have a good enough package to play a long time.''

Holmstrom will join Gordie Howe (1,687), Alex Delvecchio (1,549), Nicklas Lidstrom (1,548), Steve Yzerman (1,514) and Kris Draper (1,137) as the only players to appear in 1,000 games as a Red Wing.

“Wow, 1,000 regular season games!'' Holmstrom said. “It's a big honor to put on that Red Wings jersey. I'm fortunate. It's been a great run and has been so much fun. Time goes by so fast.''

Teammates laud Holmstrom's will, determination and compete level.

“He's had bad knees since he came here,'' Lidstrom said. “Some nights you know he's in pain, but he battles through game in and game out.''

Edmonton's Ryan Smyth, a top net-front man himself, called Holmstrom a true warrior, a competitor and a winner.

“I'm sure his body aches a lot after games. I know that from experience, too,'' Smyth said. “He's one of the best, if not the best, in my opinion. I watched him over the years, and I've picked up a few things, and maybe he picked up a few things from me. I have tremendous respect for him.''

Draper is surprised his former teammate has lasted this long.

“With the amount of games he’s played and the amount of abuse he's taken, you’d think that his body would have given up on him,'' Draper said. “His pain threshold is probably as high as I’ve ever seen with a hockey player, the stuff that he goes through and how he keeps coming back for more.''

Holmstrom's career probably was extended by rules implemented in 2005-06, after the lockout, prohibiting players – particularly goaltenders – from hacking and whacking opponents in front of the net.

“It's a lot easier these days compared to when he started playing,'' teammate Johan Franzen said. “It makes you appreciate what he did back than. They're really a lot nicer now, the referee doesn’t allow as much to go on in front of the net.

“It's still pretty tough, you're going to get cross-checked. If it's getting too dirty they're going to call a penalty. They didn't do that 10 years ago.''

Holmstrom listed Ed Belfour and Patrick Roy as the goalies with whom he had the most intense battles.

“It's not that bad playing in front of the net (now),'' Holmstrom said. “You knew you're going to get hacked and whacked every time in the old NHL. Everyone has calmed down, but when the puck is there then everything starts happening again.

“Before you (would) get crossed-checked three times before you got to the net.''

He has 240 goals. He's lost count of how many he and teammates have had negated because he was in the crease or made contact with the goalie.

His desire to play still burns strong. But at age 39, with knees that require bi-annual injections of Synvisc, Holmstrom, who is in the final year of his contract, appears to be on his last legs.

“In the mind, I would love to play, but it's body-wise, the wear and tear,'' Holmstrom said. “It's going to be a big decision. We'll wait until after the season and see what's going on.''